Web 2.0, New Tools, New Schools -- Chapter 1 (new world, new web, new skills)

Solomon and Schrum in their book, Web 2.o, New Tools, New Schools share the following ideas in Chapter 1:

"By the early 2000's, the notion of interactivity went from linking and clicking to creating and sharing. Now individuals not only find and read information but also create and share their own in real time. It is a new Web, known as Web. 2.0." Wow! This is the essence of how to describe the premise behind Web 2.0 tools and why digital natives love them. To create something of your own and share it with others to improve it, learn from it, or simply enjoy it is so powerful for not only the individual, but for connected groups as well. The clicking and linking concept is so singular whereas the new Web 2.0 is global in perspective.

"In the future, how we educate our children may prove to be more important than how much we educate them(Binder, cited in Friedman, 2005, p. 302)." Wow again! It will not be how much we educate our students because they will have embraced the concept of lifelong learners and not even realize it. The Web 2.o tools will draw them into learning as a natural extension of who they are, but for that to happen educators must embrace a way of teaching -- a new way of motivating students to what to learn -- instilling the desire to learn must be the paramount focus in this new age of Web. 2.0. Students who embrace the idea of self learning will do well and be employable -- if they embrace the concept of creating and sharing they will acquire the skills needed in job market, in essence they will be able to teach themselves to do any job they want.

"It is important to ask: Who will be prepared for the new world? Who will have the technological and thinking skills needed for the 21st century? And how can we help them prepare?" Those who embrace the ideas of sharing creating and understand the tools that can assist with these ideas will be ready for the 21st century. Many corporations are now expecting student to be ready with technological tools that enable them to create and share for the betterment of the company. Students will not be prepared for the 21st century workplace if educators do not begin to prepare them -- if educators do not embrace that they need to change the means by which they teach -- educators must step up and acknowledge that Web 2.0 is here and should be used to empower themselves as well as their students because education is remaining stagnant, but is changing and changing rapidly.

Week #9, Thing #23 -- Experience Summary

I enjoyed this experience and feel now that I understand what is meant by Web 2.o. Occaisonally there were links that did not work (I beleive only in Week #9) which was frustrating. The only other frustration I had was with figuring out a few of the tools initially, especially the RSS feeds. I feel I have learned a tremendous amount and now need time to synthesize the information for myself in order to share with my staff throughout the coming school year. I greatly appreciate the time and energy that it took Ann and Katie to organzie Raven About Web 2.0 and appreciate those who saw the worthiness of this venture and approved the grant that supports it.

The additional assignments for those of us taking this for university credit were worthwhile and helped to place the Web 2.0 concept in the school setting. I am looking forward to reading all the text, Web 2.0 New tools, New schools by Gwen Solomon and Lynne Schrum as I find it full of interesting ideas and thoughtful suggestions.

Week #9, Thing #22-- ebooks and audiobooks

Audiobooks are fabulous and in their own way so are ebooks. I enjoy listening to audiobooks as I commute to work each day and on my mp3 players around the house. I hosted an audiobook promotion at my library this past year where I simply talked up the audiobooks to convince students to check them out. Those who did, loved it. Also, during that month I collaborated with an ESL staff member -- I booktalked the audiobooks and gave each of the students the actually printed copy of the book and the audiobook to check out -- the students were expected to follow along in the printed book while listening to the audiobook. The students liked it and several came back for a second helping or more!

I visited the World Ebook Fair and found the books absolutely marvelous -- a real trip down memory lane as I can recall my grandparents having many of these books in their home. My grandfather would read to us from these books and it brought back the memory of his voice. I enjoyed reading a couple, but have never relished the idea of reading books off a computer screen so I don't feel it is something I would regularly engage in. Perhaps the digital natives would find this endeavor more pleasurable, but do feel it is vital to record as many books as possible online to preserve them. The Gutenberg Project should be treasured!

Then I visited Librivox -- wow! This is a marvelous resource and one that I hope will continue. I listened to the first chapter of Louisa May Alcott's Eight Cousins and loved it. It was like having an audiobooks right in my home office -- I filed paperwork and reorganized myself while listening. The selections from Librivox can be downloaded to ipods or mp3's and taken anywhere -- what fun and economically it provide audiobook access for free (again, perhaps equalizing the gap between having access to materials and not having access to materials).

I feel that the more audiobooks that are available the greater the chance that libraries (online libraries too) will have the possibility of getting reluctant readers to begin reading more -- being engaged digitally will provide an incentive for these readers -- especially if libraries select wisely and procure books that will be of interest to the reluctant readers.

I encourage everyone who has never listened to an audiobook to do so -- the world of reading will never be the same again.

Week #9, Thing #21 -- Podcasts

http://rss.cnn.com/services/podcasting/raceto08/rss

I found this experience to be extremely frustrating as many of the links from the Raven About Web 2.0 did not work (especially the Yahoo ones), but was able to find some podcasts of interest once I went searching on my own. I have selected America Votes 2008 to subscribe to since I enjoy listening to what presidential candidates have to say. I have include the RSS feed information for you if you wish to add it to your subscriptions. I had never listened to a podcast before and really didn't understand what they were -- but, I did the next best thing for myself -- I asked my teenager and she was able to explain about them in length and now I feel well versed. It reminded me that our students provide a wealth of knowledge for us that we often times failed to tap into! I enjoyed the first podcast of my subscription and am looking forward to listening to many more in the coming months. If I like this podcast I will consider sharing each morning at school so that students can be attuned to what is happening in the 2008 election. I'm thinking of billing it as "Library Moment -- come listen to news about the election". I certainly plan to share this podcast and hopefully others that I find on the election with my staff and allow students to access podcasts in the library. I am concerned that if I allow students to access podcasts in the school library will I run into access inappropriate materials -- perhaps a chance I may have to take (if the filters do not work well enough). I think podcasting is exciting and certainly something that students would enjoy using.